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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · date · wind · craft · coach · race · hide · arm

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — boats
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — humankind
  23. craft — a skill
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com